Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Also, it is NOT illegal to read or study Mein Kampf. Where the Germans, and many other European countries get testy is when you start publicly espousing what swell guy Hitler was, and how his ideas were pretty great after all.

nickdaisy:Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Who's with me?

Me

The Holocaust was one of the most darkest periods in European history. I can understand their intentions, but as a civilized nation, the government should be there to protect the rights of its citizens.

One of the most near and dear rights we have is freedom of speech in the United States. This has brought us the American Revolution and the KKK. Freedom to speak ones mind must be absolute in order for us to be morally right.

cman:nickdaisy: Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Who's with me?

Me

The Holocaust was one of the most darkest periods in European history. I can understand their intentions, but as a civilized nation, the government should be there to protect the rights of its citizens.

One of the most near and dear rights we have is freedom of speech in the United States. This has brought us the American Revolution and the KKK. Freedom to speak ones mind must be absolute in order for us to be morally right.

From a commenter to the article named "Brutus" -- "make these filth PROVE with a LIST of names and dates of the ludicrous 6 million gassed claims or SHUT THESE MONUMENTS TO JEWISH HISTORICAL MANIPULATION DOWN..............ENOUGH"

The Nazis may have been great records keepers, but I doubt they were this good.

nickdaisy:Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Yeah. Here's the thing. The Germans and most of Europe are still heavily ashamed of what happened between 1934 and 1945, and what their average citizens were capable of doing to each other. The holocaust denialism laws were enacted to prevent what had happened in the past with genocides and atrocities - namely them being denied, minimized, and even attempts at justification. They were also enacted during the 1980s due to a rise in ultra-nationalism and the skinhead movement in West Germany, and were kept on the books after unification because of the predominant East German communist attitude of "You're not responsible for the atrocities of World War II, you were good germans for following orders"

Also, it is NOT illegal to read or study Mein Kampf. Where the Germans, and many other European countries get testy is when you start publicly espousing what swell guy Hitler was, and how his ideas were pretty great after all.

i don't think he was arguing that the laws weren't made with good intentions...nor do i really think he was exposing "american exceptionalism"/European

nickdaisy:Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Who's with me?

"All the Dachaus must remain standing. The Dachaus the Belsens, the Buchenwalds, the Auschwitzes- all of them. They must remain standing because they are a monument to a moment in time when some men decided to turn the Earth into a graveyard. Into it they shoveled all of the their reason, their logic, their knowledge, but worst of all, their conscience. And the moment we forget this, the moment we cease to be haunted by this remembrance, then we become gravediggers. Something to dwell on and remember, not only on Fark but wherever men walk God's Earth."

nickdaisy:Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Officers detained the Poles in the eastern city of Lublin on Thursday and charged them with incitement to hatred, after three of them were caught putting up posters at bus stops reading "Zionists Leave Lublin"

Random dude one day walks into my place of employment to the front desk and asks to use the copier. The receptionist agrees and hands me the info since I was standing buy it. Total crazy anti-Zionist propaganda. I casually handed it back to the guy and stated in a disapproving tone that the printer was broken. Surreal experience.

Fano:nickdaisy: Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Who's with me?

"All the Dachaus must remain standing. The Dachaus the Belsens, the Buchenwalds, the Auschwitzes- all of them. They must remain standing because they are a monument to a moment in time when some men decided to turn the Earth into a graveyard. Into it they shoveled all of the their reason, their logic, their knowledge, but worst of all, their conscience. And the moment we forget this, the moment we cease to be haunted by this remembrance, then we become gravediggers. Something to dwell on and remember, not only on Fark but wherever men walk God's Earth."

I really like that episode of The Twilight Zone./The Obsolete Man is still the best one though.

Fano:nickdaisy: Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Who's with me?

"All the Dachaus must remain standing. The Dachaus the Belsens, the Buchenwalds, the Auschwitzes- all of them. They must remain standing because they are a monument to a moment in time when some men decided to turn the Earth into a graveyard. Into it they shoveled all of the their reason, their logic, their knowledge, but worst of all, their conscience. And the moment we forget this, the moment we cease to be haunted by this remembrance, then we become gravediggers. Something to dwell on and remember, not only on Fark but wherever men walk God's Earth."

nickdaisy:Obviously this guy is an idiot, but it seems to me that all of those European laws that make it illegal to read Mein Kampf or throw one of those moronic Nazi salutes are a bad idea.

Seems to me the lesson from the fascist era is that we shouldn't vest government with absolute authority to tell us what to think and do-- even if that means a few fools will do foolish things.

I'm glad people in America aren't rushing out to buy Mein Kampf, but I'm proud we can buy and read whatever we choose to, without the government's approval. That individual freedom is the surest guard against tyranny-- not a law passed by some politician who is for sale to the highest bidder.

Prey4reign:From a commenter to the article named "Brutus" -- "make these filth PROVE with a LIST of names and dates of the ludicrous 6 million gassed claims or SHUT THESE MONUMENTS TO JEWISH HISTORICAL MANIPULATION DOWN..............ENOUGH"

The Nazis may have been great records keepers, but I doubt they were this good.

Not to mention the death toll is now considered to be past 11 million and we do have the names of a few million of them.

Prey4reign:From a commenter to the article named "Brutus" -- "make these filth PROVE with a LIST of names and dates of the ludicrous 6 million gassed claims or SHUT THESE MONUMENTS TO JEWISH HISTORICAL MANIPULATION DOWN..............ENOUGH"

The Nazis may have been great records keepers, but I doubt they were this good.

Yeah. Here's the thing. The Germans and most of Europe are still heavily ashamed of what happened between 1934 and 1945, and what their average citizens were capable of doing to each other. The holocaust denialism laws were enacted to prevent what had happened in the past with genocides and atrocities - namely them being denied, minimized, and even attempts at justification. They were also enacted during the 1980s due to a rise in ultra-nationalism and the skinhead movement in West Germany, and were kept on the books after unification because of the predominant East German communist attitude of "You're not responsible for the atrocities of World War II, you were good germans for following orders"

Also, it is NOT illegal to read or study Mein Kampf. Where the Germans, and many other European countries get testy is when you start publicly espousing what swell guy Hitler was, and how his ideas were pretty great after all.

That's the theory, yes, in the same sense that in theory Jim Crow laws were all about making sure that people that only literate people with real knowledge of the issues can vote and that current voter ID law is just to prevent voter fraud.

In practice the application of the laws has historically been very different from the stated intent, is what I'm getting at here.

// This isn't uncommon in the US or Europe, for a law ostensibly justified for some popular/reasonable reason to actually be a lever for something nasty and anti-democratic, usually censorship or disenfranchisement. Hell, just look at any law promoted with a straight-faced "think of the children".